Introduction

Life hasn’t been the same since your Doberman came bounding in. True to their nature, he’s energetic, loyal, alert, and fearless. He charges around the house each day playing with kids and greeting anyone that walks through the door. And despite his tough appearance, you know he’s all soft and cuddly inside. The only problem is he isn’t quite as receptive to training as you would like. You’ve managed to teach him to ‘sit’, but other commands, such as ‘stay’, are proving a little more challenging. You simply don’t want him pestering you at the dinner table anymore though, so ‘stay’ is an instruction he is going to have to pick up.

Training him to ‘stay’ will also help when you have guests, such as small children over, who may be slightly unsure of him to start with. It will also help instill some discipline into him, making it easier to teach a range of other commands too.

Defining Tasks

Teaching your Doberman to ‘stay’ can be challenging. However, fear not, there are a number of effective techniques you can employ to get him following your lead. Plus, Dobermans are intelligent and obedient, so they are relatively receptive to training. You will need to use an effective motivator throughout training though. Food will often do the trick. You will then have to gradually build up the ‘stay’ using strict obedience commands.

If he’s a puppy then he may struggle even more to stay still. However, he should also be a quick learner. Best case scenario, training will take just a few days. Worst case scenario, your Doberman is old and unable to stay still. Then you may need a couple of weeks. Succeed and you’ll quickly be able to get the peace and quiet you sometimes need.

Getting Started

Before you start training, you will need to collect a few items. Stock up on his favorite food, or some tasty treats. For one of the methods, you will also need a clicker.

You will then need a quiet room where you can train for a few minutes each day, preferably when there won’t be noisy kids running around the place. Also, choose a room where things aren’t likely to get broken if he decides staying still isn’t for him.

Once you have all those boxes ticked, just bring patience and an optimistic attitude, then work can begin!

The Traffic Stop Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

1

‘Down’

The first thing you need to do is get him into the ‘down’ position. Give the instruction as you normally would and hold out a treat if he needs some extra motivation.

Step

2

‘Stay’

Once he’s down, give a ‘stay’ command in a clear, firm voice. You can use any word or phrase you like, just make sure it isn’t used in conjunction with any other commands. Hold eye contact as you give the command.

Step

3

Traffic signal

As you give the command, hold out your hand like a stop sign in front of him. This will automatically make him hesitate and wait for a moment.

Step

4

Reward

Only leave him there for a second to start with, then say his name to release him and hand over a tasty reward. It’s important he gets lots of attention and a mouth-watering treat. The better the treat, the more likely he will be to repeat the behavior.

Step

5

Increase the time

Practice this for a few minutes each day. As you do, gradually increase the length of time you leave him waiting there for. Keep increasing the time until you can leave the room and he stays there for as long as you need. At this point, you can slowly cut out the treats.

Recommend training method?

The Stay & Turn Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

1

‘Sit’

Take him to a quiet room and then instruct him to sit. You can hold out a treat to get his attention to start with. Make sure you give the command in a firm voice and just once; you want him to concentrate.

Step

2

‘Stay’

Now give the ‘stay’ command. You can use any word or phrase you like. Dobermans can learn hundreds of different commands. Just like the ‘sit’, give the instruction in a clear voice.

Step

3

Step back

Once you have given the command, take a step back. If he stays, hand over a tasty reward. Then repeat the behavior, but this time take two steps back. Again, give him a reward afterwards.

Step

4

Turn

Once you can take a few steps back without him moving, you can upgrade to the turn. So, take a couple of steps back after you’ve given the command and then turn around for a few seconds. This will get him used to staying when you aren’t in the room and not concentrating on him. Continue to reward him, just gradually increase the length of time you turn around for.

Step

5

Lose the treats

Practice this daily until he’s fully into the swing of it. Once you can turn around for a while and even leave the room, then you can slowly cut out the treats. He knows what is expected of him now and the food lure will no longer be required.

Recommend training method?

The Click & Reward Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

1

Clicker friendly

Use the clicker to signal to him whenever he has performed a behavior correctly. This will be a quick and easy way for you to communicate with him, speeding up the learning process.

Step

2

‘Down’

Before you get him to stay, instruct him to lie ‘down’. This trick has two parts to it. Hold eye contact with him as you give the instruction, you want to hold his attention. As you give the command also step back.

Step

3

‘Stay’

Once down, issue a ‘stay’ command in a firm voice. At the same time take a step towards him. If you move quickly towards him he will automatically pause for a moment. This is precisely what you want.

Step

4

Click

Only wait a second or two once you’ve given the command, then as long as he has stayed still, give a click to let him know he has behaved correctly. You can then pat your knees, smile, or call him over to let him know he can move. Then you can throw him a tasty treat.

Step

5

Change it up

Practice this for a few minutes each day. Make sure you give the command in a variety of situations though. Plus, gradually increase the length of time you leave him waiting there for. The more you practice, the quicker you will see results.